Leone Wiitala, 93

Leone M. Wiitala, 93, of Iowa City passed away peacefully following a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer's on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at the home of her daughter, Susan Vasquez, in Coralville. Funeral services will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, February 12 at Zion Lutheran Church in Iowa City. Visitation will be held from 10:00AM - 11:00AM prior to the start of services. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Zion Lutheran Church or Iowa City Hospice. Burial will be held at a later date at the Lakeview Cemetery in Calumet, Michigan.

Leone was born to Alfred and Anna (Lahti) Winquist in Mohawk, Michigan on September 25, 1919. In her early years, the family lived in several of the nearby towns in the Upper Peninsula. She along with her four siblings attended several schools in the area. On October 25, 1942, she married Sulo W. Wiitala in Calumet, Michigan. They lived in: Chicago, Illinois, Houghton, Michigan and Lansing, Michigan prior to moving to Iowa City in 1965. Their daughter, Susan, was born in Lansing, Michigan.

Leone was a homemaker, wife, mother and grandmother her entire life. She enjoyed providing a comfortable home for her family. Her interests included cooking, gardening, needlework, and, spending time with her grandsons, Gabe and Marcus. She looked forward each year to spending summers in Calumet and the Upper Peninsula.

Survivors include her daughter, Susan Vasquez, son-in-law Lee, and, her grandsons, Gabriel and Marcus, all of Coralville; a brother, Vernon Winquist (Delores) of Livonia, Michigan, sister-in-law, Sylvia Baugh of Milford, Michigan, nephews Keith Winquist of Canton, Michigan and Glenn Baugh (Jan) of Yuma, Arizona, nieces Nancy Hughes (Dan) of Livonia, Michigan and Gayle Baugh of Pensacola, Florida. She was preceded in death by her husband, Sulo, her parents, her brothers Chester Winquist and Lance Winquist, sister Eleanor Younker and brother-in-law, Glenn Halfast.

Online condolences and memories can be left for the family at www.lensingfuneral.com under obituaries.

ADVERTISEMENT

Most Popular

Most Commented

More Headlines

Most Viewed

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Leone Wiitala, 93

Leone M. Wiitala, 93, of Iowa City passed away peacefully following a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer's on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at the home of her daughter, Susan Vasquez, in Coralville.